Changes to a batting order can be a daunting prospect for some teams, but that wasn’t the case for UCLA on Tuesday night. The No. 12 Bruins showcased their depth and versatility in a 9-3 victory over the UC Irvine Anteaters as UCLA secured an undefeated record in its midweek home schedule.
UCLA (27-10, 11-7 Pac-12) was again plagued by a slow start; Irvine (20-17, 5-7 Big West) scored two runs in the top of the first inning and put pressure on freshman starter Grant Watson right off the bat.
“He’s having a tough time getting out of the gate, I don’t know what it is,” coach John Savage said.
Watson gave up three runs in four innings, but Savage was nevertheless pleased with the freshman’s ability to remain composed in high-pressure situations.
“He didn’t crack. “¦ He poised up, he made some pitches and got his legs and was able to get us to the fifth,” Savage said.
UCLA’s offense responded in the second inning with two runs off a triple from junior center fielder Beau Amaral, who hit 2-for-5 in the game. Amaral has been a staple in the Bruins’ lineup and vouched for the depth in the dugout.
“We’re really deep; I feel like we could throw out two different lineups and be able to compete in the Pac-12. We have a lot of guys who stepped up when they need to, and it also increases competition ““ nobody’s job is safe,” Amaral said.
The Bruins’ bullpen was dominant again, as five pitchers in relief of Watson combined to pitch five shutout innings and limit the Anteaters to just two hits. Junior closer Scott Griggs capped off the win with three strikeouts in a perfect ninth inning.
“That’s one of our strengths as well is our bullpen. We trust giving the ball to (David) Berg and (Ryan) Deeter and Griggs and tonight you saw them pretty sharp,” Savage said.
Sophomore shortstop Pat Valaika was also crucial to UCLA’s defensive success. Valaika has an uncanny ability to make difficult defensive plays ““ a fully-extended diving grab on a line drive, in the case of Tuesday’s game ”“ look as easy as throwing out a ceremonial first pitch.
Valaika also scored two runs for the Bruins and emphasized the importance of the short game on the night for UCLA.
“We wanted to get the lead-off guy on and execute and put pressure on them, and it seemed to work. We got a lot of two-strike bunts down, which was key because we need to get that guy over. We just put pressure on their defense and it worked out well for us,” Valaika said.